this show does not dissappoint. killer opening night in new york. another excellent night for donna. her growth as a vocalist this tour is incredible, she really steps it up.
phil leads a super groovy help with great chemistry btwn phil n jerry. help is not so straightforward and gets into a super weird high energy psychedelic dance throng. slip does not dissapin and this franks is one for the books holy shit. so pretty. jerry sets the bar high for tonight.
unfortunately this show really suffers from dead air. lots of waiting and some annoying tune callers in the crowd (otherwise crowd energy wise and noise wise is pretty good on this recording, warm at the show feeling). minglewood is kinda rushed at first. but tennjed is phenomenal and the crowd loves it. jerry is dripping poor boy swagger on this one. cassidy is excellet, donna shines, bobby gives it, coulda used more of it but its super tight and does not disappoint. oh also keith!! keith is clearly loving that moog. so nice to hear him come out more. he shreds on tleo with a super chunky one lead by jerry, w excellent jerry/keith passages. big river us great but down time drags here. tmns is a new of quality for the tour. donna and bobby give phenomenal vocal performances. good first set but downtime kept it from feeling outstanding.

this second set takes off tho. top tier samson, beautiful sugaree, keith is having fun. jerry keeping up the nearly flawless vocal performances. donna, bobby and keith are all in top form here. i also wish there had been more of it. but its still kinda new, despite being played a lot so far this year but the crowd is into it. this scarlet rips, into gdtrfb?? gtfo!! classic grateful dead here. i wish the wheel developed a lot more. wharf rat isnt as monstrous as the other night, but i cant say enough for jerrys performance here. i like the slower around n around. and a very beautiful, concise ujb to close the night. what a hell of a way to open a run. the grateful dead does not fuck around in new york city.

This was the first show here since March '72. Unfortunately the SBD (mostly) remains in the vault. Fortunately we have a Jerry Moore AUD that's so dynamic we can even hear Phil. It's the start of 5 hot shows in the venue, but the 4th of 8 in a row in the NYC metro area. Note that Keith is using a synth; a rarity for him though he often brought one on tour. The Sugaree and the GDtRFB are well-noted but there is so much more. While the next night is probably the run's best, this has all the cachet of a spring '77.

First Set. Help on the Way warms up and Jer becomes very dynamic going into Slipknot!. The latter has very interesting passages, and listen for Keith alternating keyboards. Franklin's has just enough gobsmacking passages to recommend (given there are so many good ones on this tour). Minglewood is charging, loping, awesome, and Tennessee Jed is as solid as it gets. That still doesn't prepare you for the horizon-expanding Cassidy. So good. The rest is average (for this tour). They Love Each Other is an upstanding citizen (volunteering at local charities), but on Big River Bobby's guitar is dropped from the mix. Loser is a little flat but Bobby returns to the mix halfway, in time for a solid Music Never Stopped

Second Set. Jer has to fight for the solo in Samson, but it has the first set NRG plus deep dives from Phil. This Sugaree is a mastodon. There's a lot here, but check out after 8mins how they are about to go into the jubilee lyric, with Keith playing accordion-synth tones, when the mood strikes them to expand a little, then more, and then it just overflows. The AUD is not as clear for El Paso. And Brown Eyed Women has a skip @2:01 (that can be filled), but it's a great version, uptempo, with fine Bobby fills and good Donna. Estimated suffers only in comparison to others on the tour (it's in between 4/25 & 5/7!). Scarlet starts rough but becomes solid, with an interesting seg into a shiny Goin' Down the Road. On the latter, listen how after 7mins, at the drop into the Goodnight Jam, Jer starts Not Fade Away instead but when it obstinately doesn't snap, veers them into a jam that sticks generally to GDtRFB, but with minor pentatonics and a beat from NFA. So cool! The rest is average for '77. Wharf is GOGD, Around & Around is taken at slower tempo than the rest and, if not one of the year's best versions, it's still an exciting AUD (there's a brief cut @6:10 and another @8:05). Uncle John's is a straight read, clean.

1st Set:  A-
2nd Set: B-
Overall = 4¼ stars

Highlights:
Slipknot! through Cassidy - are peak Dead
Sugaree - a mastodon
Brown Eyed Women - tight, uptempo, Bobby fills, good Donna
Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad - also check the jam coming in

SOURCES: The moore_unknown_7113 runs a little fast, needing -1% pitch correction. It also benefits from BAL and EQ intervention. Sugaree and Scarlet>Goin' Down the Road are on Download 1 in high quality.

This is a great show! shame theres no soundboard, but its not a bad audience recording... funny how this is what I used to get (~10 generations in!) and it was still great!
So, if we listen to this with that in mind... in a good venue (don't think I ever got into Academy, whatever it was called, over the years, and in my time) this is a damn good recording, with not too much crowd, decent range, and an early start to the excitement and enthusiasm of Spring 1977... it really does start at the Winterland in March!
I will never stop appreciating that the Dead would go find "smaller" venues, even during my time! Recently finding joy in hearing the crowd sing along with Jerry, or vice versa, during Franklin's Tower! Ultimately, grateful that we have any recording!

The recording is very warm, a bit dark. Very interesting jams, nothing wild in terms of song selection. While I'm not much of a '77 enthusiast, the ending jam is brilliant and beautiful.

Really good Franklin's. Whole show is solid.

4/29/1977
The Palladium

This week we find ourselves at opening night of a 5 night run in NYC at The famed Palladium. This also happens to be the sixth show of arguably the finest Grateful Dead tour ever. I would not have said that 3 or so years ago, but that was because I had not yet given shows from this tour so many close, complete listens. Most vary from very good to downright great, and this one would fall under the latter category. I had listened to the 30th many times before, but never the 29th. This show has a personality all its own and really never lets up. Yet again, I had no idea what I was in for going into this one.

This show starts off with a BANG, in the form of H>S>F. Right away, not unlike 5/9, you can tell there is a little something extra in the air. They have some heavy snap and pop going on and Jerry is absolutely off his ass. Perfect harmonies from Donna tonight, while Billy and Mick sound absolutely spot on and perfectly in sync. Franklin’s would most definitely be the highlight of these three as it clocks in on it’s own at around 15 min or so, and it’s just one of those moments in music where absolutely everything seems to come together. That’s the best way I can put it. Absolutely remarkable opening trifecta right there. Minglewood comes next, and it’s pretty well done considering they already set the barometer so goddam high already this evening. Anyhow, not bad Bobby, I enjoyed it. Next up the Aud spices in and you can hear the crowd really well for the first time, and they absolutely ROAR when Jerry does the first few licks of Tennessee. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a reception that warm, for that tune, ever. Nice The tune is well done and Jerry even gives that mini-solo out a little extra. Bobby rolls Cassidy out next, and I like this one with the exception of the length of the tune. It starts out innocently enough, but Jerry then takes the solo really, really high for about 90 seconds and it reminded me of “Beautiful Jam” for just a second – and then he winds it right down and kills it. I’m starting to see a pattern of this when it comes to Cassidy and Spring ’77 tour. They never seem to take it too far, and always reel it in early….imo anyways….With the first few licks of TLEO you know Jerry is cutting the funk loose, and this version is a keeper. That super patient, super funky slow-ass playing just slays me, I f*n love it. Always been a fan of this tune and this one is well done. They follow that up with being straight up shot out of a canon in the form of Big River. This one just explodes from the start and never ever looks back. The trading and soloing Kieth and Jerry do is insane. I think it may suffer a little from being Aud only, but I absolutely love this one. Pure 100% GD Yeehaw love right here and Jerry is pickin’ his ass off. This is the definition of barnburner, personified. I fucking love this Big River and I’m not sure there is a better one out there. WOW. Loser rolls out next, just as languid and desperate as could be. Great storytelling from Jerry and the crowd eats it up. His vocals sound damn near perfect tonight by the way. To round out the first set we have an absolute shit-hot TMNS. Awesome rhythm, great vocals and all together fantastic. The crowd also goes NUTS for Donna’s little solo – which I find more than a little ironic. Jerry and Keith take over at around the 5 minute mark and just ride this to the moon – absolutely smokin’ it. Jeezus man – BOOM! That is how you close out a motherf*n first set ladies and gentlemen. Amazing shit right there. The crowd was completely blown out of the water by this one. Amongst the very best TMNS, if not the very best I’ve heard.

Thoughts on the first set – Killer. Straight up dank. The barometer was set sky high with the H>S>F opener and they did not back off a bit. That Big River and TMNS were a very close second to that ridiculous opener. This one has surely hath started off with a bang.

The second set opens with a well played Samson, however like I’ve said before – it’s hard for me to be unbiased about this tune. I just don’t really like it. I do like a strong opening dance tunes and this one is that. Next up is the not-your-everyday combo of Sugaree>El Paso. I would tell you on paper there is no way in hell I thought this would work as well as it did. Sugaree was tempered nicely, and the tempo only increased ever so gradually throughout the 14 minute version – and Jerry just crushes it. This one is all him and a thing of beauty. Now, the interesting part – the transition to El Paso. He walks this one down really slowly to the end and then everyone kinda sustains their finish – until Jerry starts with the cowboy noodlin’ once again. That worked shockingly well, and I’m a fan of it. A clean cut, classic BEW rolls out next and Jerry’s vocals really shine here again. I love the lyrics and he accentuates them so well, he’s just got this one down to a science. Nice – really nice. Next up is Estimated, and for some reason I got the feeling Jerry wasn’t really into it. Clocking in @ only 9 minutes, obviously not a whole lot of exploration was going on. His solos seemed a little drifty/dreamy, but not really going anywhere. It’s not like it was terrible, but there are so many killer version surrounding this one that it seems sub par comparatively (Spring ’77) speaking. Next up, batting cleanup is the combo of Scarlet>GDTRFB>NFA Tease>Drums>Wheel>Rat>R&R. This Scarlet starts off pretty basic and has some relatively high points, and Donna’s harmonies are really nice. Keith does do this harpsichord kinda thing at around the 6 min mark that I really couldn’t put my finger on – prolly some kinda weirdness outta the Rhodes. At around the 8 minute mark you can hear Billy and Mick starting that heavy thump of GDTR and it sounds fantastic. Somehow, without me hardly noticing they were knee deep into GDTRFB and I missed the transition. I went back and gave it another spin, and then I realized why – it was so seamless. Another not-your-everyday combo that worked Hella good!! They work this fat groove right into the pocket without looking back. Man, what a transition that was – like it didn’t exist cause it was so damn smooth. After about 5 min they jump off into a little NFA jam that I really dug. I wish they would kept up that drippy funk, but alas, Drums creeps in and takes over. I absolutely love Wheel when its done well and this one out of Drums is just that. There aint nothin’ like a well done Wheel from Spring ’77 – Shit, the Wheel from 5/25 is my alarm clock every morning. They just nail this one, and I’m quite sure the crowd was as captivated as I was. From there Jerry kinda slinks this one into a very well done Rat which the crowd freakin hoots and hollers for – I mean goin’ nuts. From there we get the Chuck Berry close in R & R, which I figured was coming after the TMNS closer for the first set. I’ve said many times before that these Spring ’77 shows could be so much more with a different closer – Like Dew. The encore is a well done UJB and again this is one of those tunes that I think sounds better with Donna. They close the door on UJB and that is that. WOW. Fucking wow.

So where does this leave me? Blown away, that’s where. This is an absolute top tier show which actually reminded me of Springfield – with an inverted set list(sorta). I was never bored nor did I ever even have the inkling to bump any tune. I don’t think this one hits the highs of say, 5/8, 5/9, 5/17 or 5/25, but that takes nothing away from this magnificent performance. A hell of a way to say hello to NYC in Spring ’77 boys, and I give this show a solid A. It was damn near perfect in every way – more polished than some and less exploratory than others. There is a shitload of meat on this bone, and it takes a few listens to take it all in. Fantastic show by any standard. I really dug reviewing it.

Great show. Really nice Frank's and especially love the Sugaree, it's very sweet, mellow, and the crowd really builds with it.

Download the Help->Slipknot->Franklin's. It's one the best, not sure why it doesn't get more credit. It's almost 29 minutes long. Jerry stumbles during his first solo in Help and doesn't look back. A psychedelic hurricane to say he least. The rest of the show is just plain average in my opinion. Sound is VG+, the 5 stars applies to Help->Slip->Franklin's only.

Just revisiting this show on the 34th anniversary of my first show on April 29, 1977. Never looked back from there anf fortunate to have seen the Dead with Jerry 209 times and it all started on a Friday night just like today April 29, 2011.

Great Jerry Moore audience recording. I began listening aware of this being an audience recording; the longer I listen, the more I "don't notice." In other words, I hear almost no flaws, and there are no indications that the music, on April 29, 1977, sounded any different than is presented right here. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE CROWD HEARD. LUCKY US! The recording is very smooth and great for low volume listening (I've been studying the entire time). I can hear everything just fine, and now that I crank it for just a second, all of the instruments are right there, just as at the low volume. This is the sign of a great recording. I'm happy to have listened, and this will definitely make my smooth and easy-going list. For me, highlights, or things that have stood out while I haven't been paying attention, are Sugaree, Wharf Rat, Feelin' Bad, Franklins, The Wheel, and Brown Eyed Women. I've been on a Brown Eyed kick lately though, so I may be biased.
Happy Listening
By the way, first time I've ever heard an Around and Around with a breakdown like this at the end.
Great Show

Slipknot! just ripped me apart like C3P0 on The Empire Strikes Back!!! 21 minute franklin's? Insane peak at 12:00-12:30, but we ain't done yet. Jerry lets you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you better "roll away the dew" before some sublime noodling before wrapping up at 15:30. Okay so the timing is alittle off. Gotta re-tune after that monster 30 minute opening before a perfunctory Minglewood that ends abruptly. Give it back to Jer-Bear for an up-tempo Jed. which is about as good as this number can get. I can't do a song-by-song here, jst check out this top-notch show!

sound isnt crystal, would love a clear soundboard of this

the help through franks is good, always a nice opener to get things going

begonias into gdtrfb was also novel, could feel them searching around for where to head with it

overall definitely a keeper, grate stuff

The Music Never Stopped is particularly rewarding right before set break. Serious playing. Bobby: "Thank you, we're gonna take a break, and you can too."

Just some non-pejorative thoughts to share, b/c really, for a first show, was I lucky or what?? Sitting in the 15th row center of the Palladium, half-dragged there by my deadhead buddy Steve; when they kicked into Help On the Way, with the tempo so much peppier than on the album, I remember putting my head back and simply laughing out loud (with no help from micro-dot, thank you, perhaps just a passed joint or two during). Never looked back, and who could blame me? It's pure bliss to listen to this again --no wonder I was smitten. Cheers.

i'll be honest i haven't gone through every track, but jerry is REALLY PLAYING his axe this show, the ideas just flow and the energy is just UP UP UP......

the scarlet>gdtrfb is ONE OF THS UNIQUE BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS that the grateful dead occasionally were able to bestow on us....

thanks to the band, for making this ALL happen....

i call it 4.5 stars, so in an effort to push the OVERALL in that direction i give 5, YES< 5

an engergetic h>s>f to kick it off, and like springfield, the slipknot is the special piece of the trio again tonight. the song selections work really well throughout, and even the "tiny adjustments" can't kill the energy. every song played with gusto. maybe it's the microdot, but i don't care if they take all night between songs. ain't no place i'd rather be...no, sir. the closing trio - very uptempo big river, languid loser and BEST MNS of the tour-to-date - provides nice symmetry to this very strong set.

second set starts as set 1, pt. 2 in terms of song selection and energy. mucho gusto...and then the big jam sequence starting at scarlet just LIFTS us up, up, up through the roof. man, oh man. and the first UJB of the tour as the encore? 'nuff said. (~);-}

night six of the tour bodes well for the future, no doubt. four more nights like this, and then some, i hope.

now, the question is what's happenin' post-show in the big apple? where's the party at?

4:18 God saves the child that rings that bell. LOL

Because many shows from '77 start out with Promised Land, it's refreshing to have the Help>Slipknot>Franklin suite as the opener, though it's an average performance. Franklin goes on a bit too long without new ideas. Sugaree is also a weak spot.

Hightlights for me are Deal and Wharf Rat, which have power and passion, conveyed in soulful singing and guitar, and band members in-tune with each other. These two are worth a listen.

The band gets hot on Music Never Stopped, where Jerry's on fire. This is followed by a fast-paced Samson with a high-energy Jerry solo near the end. The Estimated Prophet is tight, the musicianship and vocals are on target, and has some nice Jerry's soloing.

The Scarlet suffers from the "lazy drumming" (we used call it "disco drumming") that we sometimes get in '77. This this the simple beats 1 and 3 rhythm that sounds like a drum machine. (Compare to the more free-form drumming in previous years.) The transition to Goin' Down the Road is a highligh of the show, however, and worth a listen. It's one of the best transitions of '77. Unfortuantely, "drum machine" returns once GDTRFB starts.

"Drums" starts with the whole band in some great jamming to Not Fade Away without words. A little while later, we get that great Wharf Rat.

I see review after review of people talking about their first tape....well, this was mine. This seems to be the same source only 5 or so generations better.

After my first GD show, I was bugging friends for tapes to get familiar with and this was bestowed upon me. Outstanding "Franklin's Tower" and the "Sugaree", "Scarlet Begonias"/Goin' Down the Road" are cool but the "Not Fade" jam before "Drums" is unique.........the recording isn't all that great compared to whats available on this tour but the show should not be forgotten. If you've never heard it, it's worth the listen. Some jams on here you won't hear on the rest of this tour.

At 3:45 seconds into the magical Wharf Rat someone yells out a very audible "Thank You Jerry"
which brought a magnificant smile on my face! :)

This show is not as incendiary as others from the spring '77 tour, but this show is notable for the intruiging transition from Scarlet Begonias into Going Down the Road Feelin Bad. You can hear the band searching for an appropriate segue, and this night they really nail it. The jam into GDTRFB is definitely worth the download!

the help>slip!>franklin's is best ive heard....esp. the franklin's. 20+ min.
rest of show is killer as well. A bit of crowd noise but not bad at all. gives you a good feeling of the energy in the place.